Thoughts on The Ten Commandments

There doesn't seem to be a lot of talk about the Ten Commandments these days. Maybe because it's laid out in Exodus and Deuteronomy and, quite frankly, Christians don't study the Old Testament as we should. I know I am guilty of that. Anyway, I was reading Deuteronomy 5 where Moses is reminding the Israelites of God's commandments before they go into the Promised Land, and here are some thoughts I had on a few of those commands....

Deut. 5:6 - "I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery."

It seems like God is ALWAYS reminding His people about this. How does this relate to us in 2011? Read the last part of verse 6 again. Egypt was a place of slavery for the Israelites. Just as the Israelites needed to be constantly reminded of their freedom from slavery, so too must we as Christians need to be constantly reminded of our freedom from slavery...slavery from sin. I also think it's important to note that God says this before He gives the commandments to his people. Unless we recognize that we are free from the bonds of sin's slavery, we cannot fully live out God's commandments in His Word.

Deut. 5:9,10 - "I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected - even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands."

This comes with the commandment to "not make for yourself an idol of any kind...". Certainly, the Israelites had been guilty of making idols (See Exodus 32). If not destroyed, these idols could easily be passed down for generations to come. So it is with sin. One generation's sin can easily become the next generation's sin if it is not dealt with and repented of. I love verses 9 and 10 because God's mercy and grace shine through. Although the consequences of one generation's sin can be felt for a time, the obedience and love toward God of one generation can be felt for years on end. If you have grown up in a Christian family, I encourage you to thank those who have raised you for their love and obedience to God. We can all see examples in our own lives of how Deuteronomy 5:9,10 has come to fruition.

Deut. 5:11 - "You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God."

Personally, my heart has become so indifferent to this commandment. Not because I go around using the Lord's name in vain all day, although I am guilty of that at times. But it seems that whether I am just flipping through channels, surfing the web, or going to the movies, I am hearing the misuse of God's name more and more. It has been a slow infiltration where I have become o.k. with hearing certain words that should greatly offend me. I remember in middle school when I began hearing words that were offensive, and it shocked me and bothered me. I would fight mentally to not think about those words during the day. I need to return to that place of innocence, where I am offended at the misuse of God's name. But I don't think this commandment is all about avoidance of "bad words", but about being proactive in speaking praise to God. One question I have heard asked before is one I think we should ask ourselves, "What are words that you use to describe God that you would not use for anything or anyone else?"

Deut. 5:17,18,19 - "You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal."

In Matthew 5, Jesus basically says that if you hate in your heart, lust after another, or covet someone else's possessions, it is just as if you are committing murder, adultery, and stealing. It is good to be reminded of this, as we all are susceptible to comparing ourselves with others who have done worse things than us. "At least I'm not a murderer. At least I haven't committed adultery. At least I don't steal from others," we tell ourselves. If we really were honest with ourselves, how often must we be in violation of these commandments if we were to apply Jesus' words in Matthew 5.

Jacob's Model Prayer

In Genesis 32, Jacob, the son of Isaac, offers a prayer to God that is a good model for Christians to follow. The prayer comes as he is preparing to face his brother, Esau, for the first time since Jacob deceitfully stole Esau's birthright (Genesis 27). Jacob was apprehensive about meeting Esau, and the fear grows when his "messengers returned to Jacob and reported, 'We met your brother, Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you - with an army of 400 men!" (Gen. 32:6) After this news, Jacob prays the following prayer. I have broken it down into five sections.

Genesis 32:9 "O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac."

Jacob begins the prayer by stating a name(s) of God. Jesus does this also in Matthew 6:9 when teaching us to pray, "Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy." God had been faithful to Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob was now trusting that God would be faithful to him. We, too, should call God's names back to him. Doing it at the beginning of our prayers immediately puts our hearts and minds in a place of humility and thankfulness.

Genesis 32:9 "O Lord, you told me, 'Return to your own land and to your relatives.' And you promised me, 'I will treat you kindly.'"

Jacob reminded God of the commands and the promises He had made. Esau and his 400 men were coming with bad intentions, or so Jacob feared. Jacob was standing on God's promise to treat him kindly. Psalm 119:49, 50 says "Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles." How incredible it is that God takes joy in hearing us recite His promises back to him in prayer, and claim it in times of trouble.

Genesis 32:10 "I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps!"

Jacob recognized that all of his blessings and possessions had been given to him by God. We, too, should recognize that God gives us every good thing in our lives, and we should be quick to tell Him that in prayer. One verse I find myself praying often is Acts 17:25, "He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need." In praying that simple verse, it is my way of recognizing that all I have, even each breath I take, is given to me by God.

Genesis 32:11 "O Lord, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children."

After recognizing who God is, and remembering his promises to us, as well as all He has given to us by His grace, we can humbly take our requests to Him. I love how specific and descriptive Jacob is with his request. He was fearful for his life and the lives of his family. Philippians 4:6,7 says "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace." The God of the Universe wants us to present our requests to him, big or small, and we can because of Christ Jesus.

Genesis 32:12 "But you promised me, 'I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sand along the seashore - too many to count.'"

To me, the key word in this verse is "But". Jacob could have let his fearful emotions takeover and win the battle. "But", as he did earlier in the prayer, he remembered God's promise to him. We often let our feelings determine what is true or not true in our lives. Instead, we should stand on God's word, as Jacob did, no matter what our feelings tell us.

In the end, Esau was not coming to get revenge on his brother at all, but embraced Jacob and made peace with him. Jacob's prayer is one that we all can follow as we "come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most" (Hebrews 4:16).

The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1 "At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words."

My first thought as I read this was, "Wow, how cool would it be for everyone today to speak the same language! To be able to immediately understand someone from a foreign country, for there to be no barriers in communication." A quick Google search reveals that the Ethnologue suggests there are currently 6,909 recognized languages in our world, a far cry from the times of Genesis.

Genesis 11:4 "Then they said, 'Come, let's build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world."

While everyone speaking the same language seems like it would be an incredible world to live in, sinful humanity uses it as an opportunity to fulfill their selfish desires. The phrase "this will make us famous" is literally translated "let us make a name for ourselves". "The tower builders sought fame through idolatrous ambition. The tower was a human attempt to ascend to God's realm (NLT insert)." This really shouldn't come as a surprise. If left up to us and our sinful flesh, we will choose self every time. I mean, if we were to be honest, how many "towers of babel" are in our world today, literally and figuratively? How many "towers of babel" are in my life? In your life?

Genesis 11:5-7 "But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. 'Look!' he said. 'The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!' Come, let's go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won't be able to understand each other." God, in His mercy and grace, would not let sinful humanity continue in their own sin. God's judgement on humanity had already occurred through the flood, and He promised never to destroy the earth like that again (Genesis 9:15). But, he does scatter all the people by causing them to speak different languages, therefore, allowing for God's favor to be shown to Abram and the nation of Israel in the chapters to come.

Speaking of Abram, the main thing I took away from this passage is the contrast in the tower builders, who sought fame for themselves, and Abram in Genesis 12:2. God said "I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others." Abram humbly obeyed God when He told Abram to leave his country and his family, and go to a land that God would lead him to. Bottom line: Am I seeking fame for myself? Am I building "towers" in my life (money, popularity, recognition, entertainment, etc.) to pursue my own selfish desires, or am I humbly obeying Christ and letting him lead me to where he wants me to go? My purpose, as was Abram's, and as is all Christian's, is to be a blessing to others, all the while bringing glory and fame to Christ.

Noah's Ark

We often reduce the story of Noah's Ark to children's books and Hollywood movies. However, the details of the ark are amazing, and show God's mercy in preserving Noah's family to sustain humankind. Genesis 6:14 says that God told Noah to "make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high." The ratio of 450 x 75, or 6 to 1, "is the most stable known and is used for the design of modern tankers and freight-hauling ships" (NLT insert). The ark was built for survival, and the Hebrew word for the ark, "tebah, is used again only of the basket in which the baby Moses was floated on the Nile" (NLT insert). It's also amazing to me that God brought to Noah "pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground" (v. 20) to preserve his creation. I just find these little nuggets about the ark fascinating.

After the flood was over, "Noah built an altar to the Lord, and there he sacrificed as burnt offerings the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose. And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice" (8:20,21) What is so incredible about this sacrifice is that we can do the same thing today, not by offering animals and birds, but by offering prayers, praise, and thanksgiving to God. "What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God" (1 Peter 2:5). Let us follow Noah's example and daily offer these spiritual sacrifices to God.

The Blind Beggar and the Rich Tax Collector

In Luke 18:35 - 19:9, Jesus shows that his mercy is freely given to all people, despite their economic or social status. On one end of the spectrum, "a blind beggar was sitting beside the road" (v. 36). This beggar was desperate. He shouted for Jesus to have mercy on him, and as the crowds tried to hush him, he only shouted louder. I love Jesus' response. "What do you want me to do for you?" (v. 41). I probably would have asked the beggar how I could pray for him, or just simply ignored him and moved on. That question Jesus asked needs to happen more in my life. The beggar says "Lord, I want to see!" You can sense the desperation mixed with excitement, knowing that he is finally in front of the One who can change his sight and, therefore, change his life. Jesus grants his request, and the man who finally had sight "followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too" v. 43.

On the other end of the spectrum, "there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich" (19:2). He, too, was desperate. So desperate, that he climbed a fig tree just to see Jesus passing by. When Jesus joined Zacchaeus in his home later that day, Zacchaeus showed true repentance. Instead of asking for something that he didn't have, he wanted to give away the wealth that tax collectors coveted. "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" (v. 8).

I think it is neat the way Luke describes these two encounters back to back. Two men in two totally different situations, at least on the outside. On the inside, both were lost, and "the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost" (v. 10). So many times, I view the needy and the wealthy in different lights, when in reality I need to view them in the same light. When it comes down to it, we are all in need of a Savior.

Nevertheless...

I found the following Charles Spurgeon devotional, and it really spoke to me.



Psalm 73:23 Nevertheless I am continually with Thee.

"Nevertheless,"-As if, notwithstanding all the foolishness and ignorance which David had just been confessing to God, not one atom the less was it true and certain that David was saved and accepted, and that the blessing of being constantly in God's presence was undoubtedly his. Fully conscious of his own lost estate, and of the deceitfulness and vileness of his nature, yet, by a glorious outburst of faith, he sings "nevertheless I am continually with Thee." Believer, you are forced to enter into Asaph's confession and acknowledgment, endeavour in like spirit to say "nevertheless, since I belong to Christ I am continually with God!" By this is meant continually upon His mind, He is always thinking of me for my good. Continually before His eye;-the eye of the Lord never sleepeth, but is perpetually watching over my welfare. Continually in His hand, so that none shall be able to pluck me thence. Continually on His heart, worn there as a memorial, even as the high priest bore the names of the twelve tribes upon his heart for ever. Thou always thinkest of me, O God. The bowels of Thy love continually yearn towards me. Thou art always making providence work for my good. Thou hast set me as a signet upon thine arm; thy love is strong as death, many waters cannot quench it; neither can the floods drown it. Surprising grace! Thou seest me in Christ, and though in myself abhorred, Thou beholdest me as wearing Christ's garments, and washed in His blood, and thus I stand accepted in Thy presence. I am thus continually in Thy favour-"continually with Thee." Here is comfort for the tried and afflicted soul; vexed with the tempest within-look at the calm without. "Nevertheless"-O say it in thy heart, and take the peace it gives. "Nevertheless I am continually with Thee."

"You are his holy priests..."

I read a passage of scripture a couple of weeks ago that I have been meaning to write about since I read it. It is 1 Peter 2:5, which says "And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God."

I've understood for a while now the truth that as a Christian, I am a priest of God. Christians do not need earthly priests to serve as a mediator for them to get to God, because Jesus has done that for us through his death and resurrection. "Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence." (Eph. 3:12) I will always remember my pastor in high school, Mike Johnson, who would tell our congregration, "Raise your hand if you are a priest!" Most would unassuredly raise their hands, wondering if this was a trick question.

I've never really grasped what this truth meant, and I still probably don't fully understand it. But, when I read 1 Peter 2:5 the other day, something clicked that hadn't before. You see, the role of a priest in Old Testament times was much different than what a priest is today. Instead of wearing a clean, black suit with a white collar tab, which is the picture that comes to my mind of present-day Catholic priests, OT priests were more than likely covered in the sacrificial blood of animals most of the time. Hebrews 10:11 says that "under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins," while 2 Chronicles 13:11 says "they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the Lord every morning and evening." A priest was never able to sit down. Their work was never finished, since the sacrifices they offered to God were never fully pleasing to Him. Only Jesus, our High Priest, "sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand." (Hebrews 10:12)

So, what does this mean for us as Christians today? Many times I think we get burdened by feeling that, even though we're forgiven, God still isn't fully pleased with us despite our best efforts. What we fail to recognize is that Jesus is fully pleasing to God, and as God's holy priests, we can now offer sacrifices that are pleasing to Him. These sacrifices can come all throughout our everyday lives...singing a praise song in the car, praying for our family and friends, serving those who are in need, giving our best in our jobs for His glory, enjoying fellowship with other Christians, the list can go on and on. And the great thing is that all of these sacrifices are pleasing to God, because Jesus is pleasing to God.

May we all live out Romans 12:1, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." A perfect description of our role as holy priests of God.